Truck advice needed

I am in the market for a new used (a year or two old) truck and I am stuck between getting a half-ton truck and a ¾ ton truck. I already have a 1 ton dump truck, (a Chevy 3500) for towing my bobcat so I dont need anything bigger than a ¾ ton truck. I will mostly be towing a 6x12 enclosed trailer(mowing, a ztr and wb), but I have to admit, I like the idea of being able to tow my bobcat around with out having to use a dump truck is a nice thought.

Anyways, would there be much difference towing a 6x12 with a ½ vs. a ¾ ton truck? And would it be possible to tow a 5,000lb bobcat(standard 14ft equipment trailer) with a ¾ ton truck? Also how much of a price increase would it be to upgrade from a ½ to a ¾ ton truck., I am able to buy the truck at wholesale through a family member.

Which truck do you think best suits my needs? Thanks in advance for your help.

1/2 ton is light duty, 3/4 ton can be a 7200GVW or 8600GVW if I remember correctly. If you EVER tow the bobcat with a light truck you will be overloaded in the suspension, brakes and frame stiffness you would need for safety. Underworked trucks last longer than overloaded trucks always.
Wayne Borngesser, ASE Master and 20+yrs. with GM mostly Chevy.Hope that helps.(BTW maintenance will also be lower in the brake dept. as well as the wear on the suspension/tires)

You can pay now ( heavy 3/4 ) or pay later ( maintenance to a 1/2)
You will be much happier in the 3/4, and the day your dump fails to start, or is in for service, you will be happy to have a back up plan If you buy the 1/2, you will always be saying I shoulda gone big. Good Luck with your decision !!

I have a GMC 2500HD, which is actually a 1 ton, for sale. 42K miles, SLE package, cd player, power seats, windows, mirrors, etc. It is listed in the for sale section, but of course it is long gone from the front page. It is warranteed until Jan 16, 2010, or 37k more miles, and can be extended from there even. Or you can get it cheaper without the warranty, and I'd just get a refund for it. Bought a new one so this one has to go. I'm located about 20 miles North of New Orleans. It's the BLUE one.

I have towed 10,000 with my F-250 no problems. Just get the HD 3/4. There are wanna be 3/4 ton trucks out there like the F-250 that has the 150 body and the non HD 2500 chevys. Look for the 8600 GVW.

Click to expand...

Not sure about the Ford, but GM 2500 are true 3/4 ton trucks. 2500 HD are one ton. Not sure they even make the regular 2500 anymore. I think it is 1500-1/2 ton, 1500HD-3/4, 2500HD-1 ton, 3500- 1 ton+ and usually duallies.

I have a f150 I bought last summer as my first truck. Its a 97 and its rated to tow up to 6,000 lbs. My next truck will be a f250 super duty or 2500HD. If you have a wholesale connection I would say go for the bigger truck, resale will be more as well.

I won't go up from the F150 just to have a back-up to pull a trailer one or twice a year. Due to high gas prices our F250 and F350 is parked and we are using smaller pick-ups. These big trucks eat gas!